World Jewish News

‘Europeans must stand united against hatred, intolerance and Anti-Semitism'

‘’Europeans must stand united against hatred, intolerance and anti-Semitism,’’ stresses Frans Timmermans, First Vice-President of the European Commission, in a message to the Jewish community in Europe on the occasion of Rosh Hashana 5778.

He deplores that ‘’we continue to see expressions and manifestations of anti-Semitic prejudice and hatred in Europe despite the lessons that history has taught us.’’

‘’There must be zeo tolerance towards them,’’ Timmermans says.

‘’It cannot, it should never be the case that Jews have to hide their identity in public spaces. Every Jew must be able to show openly its Jewish identity.''

He continues, ‘’the democratic debate stops where anti-Semitic tropes are poisoning the discussion and age-old conspiracies are utilized against ‘enemies’ of society. We must also keep educating younger generation about the dangerous path this leads down.’’

Despite te fact that we go throughout turbulent times, Timmermans says there are also ‘’encouraging signs.’’ ‘’Without ever being naïve, I remain optimistic. Europeans increasingly refuse the hateful messages of extremists and populists. I see growing resilience in our society and increasing understanding that we must fight for our values and not take them for granted. I believe that the silent majority is waking up to the reality that those wo want to destroy our diverse societies cannot be met with silence.’’

He also says that more than ever ‘’we need to promote dialogue and understanding between different communities,’’ mentioning that the European Commission co-sponsored tis year a joint day of action against anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hatred. ‘’The joint Shavuot/Iftar dinner with Jewish and Muslim youngsters aso sent a powerful message of unity, co-existence and dialogue. This is the kind of initiative which will make our societies stronger,’’ he concluded before wishing he Jewish community ‘’Shana tova ve’metuka l’kulam.’’

EJP